Millions tohelp withcrisis

The Scottish Government has approved over £15million of funding to help South Lanarkshire tackle Covid-19.

And Rutherglen MSP Clare Haughey has welcomed the Scottish Parliament vote approving £15.6 million extra funding for South Lanarkshire Council in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

Almost £258 million extra funding has been approved for vital local services across Scotland, such as food provision for those in need, education, and social care.

The Scottish Government is in discussions with local authorities over providing a further £72 million – which will bring the total additional funding to almost £330 million.

This extra funding is on top of the local government finance settlement of £11.4 billion, which already provided an increase of £589.4 million (5.8 per cent) compared to the previous year.

Commenting, Clare Haughey MSP said: “The pandemic has put real pressure on families and local services, and it’s right that the Scottish Government has ensured South Lanarkshire Council has more cash to deal with this.

“This funding boost is supporting access to food, welfare payments, and frontline services.

“I also welcome the additional flexibility given to councils in how money is spent, allowing resources to be diverted to the Covid-19 response if required.”